Dead by Midnight
by phantomangel13
Summary: As a killer escaped from the hospital makes her way to Ouran, the Host club finds themselves locked inside. One by one she plans to pick them off like flies. Who will die? And what does the number twelve, Hunny and Mori have to do with any of this?
1. The Plan, and the Number Twelve

**Phantom: Omg… something is seriously wrong with me… I was listening to "Fences" by Paramore and was inspired to write this. I hope it's good.**

**Tamaki: (reading) What the hell?! How many people-**

**Phantom: (covers his mouth) QUIET YOU FOOL! Do you want to give away the ending?**

**Tamaki: (thinks about it) I guess not…**

**Phantom: Good, now shut your face and let me get on with the story.**

**--**

**Chapter One- The Plan, and the Number Twelve**

**"**_I'm sitting in a room,_

_Made up of only big white walls, and in the halls_

_There are people looking through,_

_The window in the door_

_They know exactly what we're here for"_

_-Paramore_

Hospitals. Oh how she hated hospitals. She was so sick of them. Sick of the doctors. Sick of being _sick_.

Only she wasn't sick. She knew it, the doctors knew it, even her parents knew it when they left her two weeks ago.

No, she wasn't sick. Not physically anyways.

Mentally? Perhaps…

The number kept coming up again. She didn't dare say it. She didn't even dare think of it in case she would have another… what did they call it? _Episode._ Yes, that was it. Another episode.

In the hospital world, an episode meant that you were down on the floor, covering your ears and screaming for mercy. An episode meant that you broke things and screamed not with fear but with hate. Pure, searing, piercing hate.

An episode sometimes meant that you killed people. But that hadn't happened in a very long time.

She heard the door open. She didn't even bother to lift her head. She was so tired. So tired and weak and hopeless. She heard the familiar click of shoes on the tile floors. She watched the shoes stop in front of her.

"Look at me Ms. Reeve." A silky voice ordered.

She lifted her head wearily. Eyes were drawn into his, and he studied hers. Her eyes had really fascinated them. One reddish-brown, one icy blue with no pupil. A rarity indeed.

He smiled at her. "Are you ready for your medication Ms. Reeve?" he asked.

She nodded slowly and mechanically. He smiled wider. "Good. Once you're under, we'll resume testing. Then maybe we can find out about this-"

_121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212OH GOD! It's happening again!_

"-tumor in your brain. And once you wake up you can have a nice cup of-"

_121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212121212Please not again!_

"Won't that be nice?"

She stared at him wide-eyed. Her pupils had dilated to the size of nickels. She was beginning to hyperventilate. One white and bony hand reached up and gripped his coat. "Twelve… twelve… twelve…" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Nurse?" the doctor called uneasily. "Nurse?"

"Out… drinking…" she sputtered. "You're… dead… doctor…"

The doctor tried to pull away, but not before she reached into his pocket and pulled out what she had been waiting for the chance to get. He whirled away from her and fell against the opposite wall. "NURSE!" he was yelling now. "WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY! I NEED HELP! SOMEONE? ANYONE!"

She staggered towards him, the needle in her hand. "Sit still doctor." She laughed, plunging the needle into his neck. "This will only hurt for a minute. Isn't that what you doctors say?" her voice was steadier now. It was over for the moment. She watched his eyes roll back before he collapsed and relished the moment. This was her revenge… this was her victory. This was making up for all those lost years stuck in the hospital, pretending that everything was fine until she lost control. But now, it was complete.

Well, almost.

Now all she had to do was get out, then phase one would be complete.

As she walked calmly out into the lobby, she checked the clock. Ten thirty. That would give her enough time to get where she needed to go. Hopefully, no one would be there…

--

"Tamaki, can we_please_ go home now?" Haruhi moaned.

Tamaki struck a dramatically serious pose. "Not until you finish practicing!" he cried. "The way the lot of you acted today was shameful. Dropping a hot cup of tea on a valued customer…" he shook his head.

"Hikaru tripped me." Haruhi protested.

"Kaoru egged me on." Hikaru added.

Kaoru put up his hands defensively. "Well, Hunny had smeared cake on my face, and I had to get back at someone who couldn't whup me senseless."

Hunny was seated at a table in the far corner, munching on a large piece of cake. "I'm just here for cake." He answered the unspoken question.

Mori was seated next to him. "I go where he goes." He added.

"And that-" Tamaki stopped, his face dropping it's determined look for a minute. "Why are _you_ here Kyouya?"

Kyouya pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and smiled slightly. "I'm just here to watch the fun." He replied.

Tamaki whirled back to Haruhi. "Now, one more time." He pointed to the other end of the room. "Carry the tea to that corner. And no spilling!"

Haruhi grudgingly did as she was told. To her surprise, she did it. And not one drop spilled. (Not even a little over the brim.)

Tamaki clasped his hands together and let out a proud and doting "AAAH! Haruhi! My daughter! I am so pr-" He looked around, realizing that he was talking to thin air. Everyone had scrambled to get out and go home before he could go into a long speech. The only one remaining was Kyouya.

Tamaki looked hurt. "Where'd they go?" he huffed.

Kyouya looked at him as if he were a complete idiot (not to say he isn't). "They left, naturally. But they won't get far."

Tamaki's slender face had taken on the look of a confused puppy. "What do you mean?"

Kyouya sighed. "Naturally, everyone else is gone but us, and when they leave, they lock the doors, correct?"

Tamaki nodded, realization dawning on him. "Ooohh…." There was a thin silence Tamaki suddenly reared back. "OH! OH NO!" he dashed out the door, crying, " Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…!"

Kyouya shook his head and went back to writing in his black book. They would be back soon…

**Phantom: WOO! I bet y'all are wonderin' whut the hell this crazy chick ahs to do with the host club being locked in the school, ain't ya? Well, you'll just have to read to find out. And I ain't tellin' ya why I'm talkin' in this Texas accent, so y'all can keep on wonderin' 'bout that too:D**


	2. A Grand Entrance

**Phantom: Well, things are bustling now aren't they? But wait, it gets better:D**

**Chapter Two- A Grand Entrance**

_"Shadows all around you as you,_

_Surface from the dark,_

_Emerging from the gentle grip of nights unfolding arms,"_

_-The Hush Sound_

She entered the building from a nearby window. It was the only one she could find that was unlocked on the ground floor. Someone careless must have forgotten to lock it. "Bully for them." She muttered, climbing in.

She stopped a moment as her bare feet touched the tiled floor. She wasn't sure exactly where she was, and a tight knot had formed in her stomach because of it. She looked around.

The moonlight from the window caressed the darkness around her, making her look illuminated… like some sort of goddess. A grin spread across her face. A goddess of _war_. That's what she was.

She began to make her way through the darkness, groping around for a wall. Instead, her hands touched something cold and metallic.

A pot.

Realization hit her. She was in a kitchen of some sort. Perfect.

She quickly groped around through cabinets and drawers until she found what she was looking for.

She held it up triumphantly, and the blade twinkled maliciously in the moonlight. Now, she was invincible. If anyone got in her way, she could just use what those Doctors had used against her for so long.

Suddenly, her body tensed up. She heard voices. They drifted out the door and toward her. Like a trapped animal, she stood as still as possible and trembled slightly. The knife was gripped in her thin, white knuckled hand. She stood and listened.

"Come on, it's late enough already." Came a voice, it sounded like a boy.

"It's a good thing we got away while we could." Chorused two voices. She felt her body tense more. How many people were still in this building?

"Come on Takashi!" a higher voice called.

The girl inhaled quickly and suddenly. That voice sounded familiar. She could feel the room starting to tilt underneath her… her mind was leaving her… and going back years and years ago…

_The sun was beating down on her small back, penetrating the thin cotton of her sundress. She was small; she knew that, small even for a four-year-old. She was kneeling by the road, playing with an ant hole. She liked to watch them crawl in and out, like they were so busy, when really they were doing nothing._

_She looked up as she heard voices. She suddenly got scared. Two boys, probably older than her, were coming towards her. Sure, the one was pretty small, but the other one was so… tall. And she was so very small… so very insignificant._

_She suddenly felt like one of the ants, meaningless and insignificant. She felt scared… no, she was terrified._

_The taller boy bent down. "What are you doing?" he asked. His voice was so calm, so steady, it soothed her slightly._

_The small boy grinned. "I like your dress." He said. She looked down at the creamy pink olds over her legs and touched them lightly._

_"Thank you." She murmured._

_She looked at the taller boy again, feeling bolder by the second. "Ants." She told him. "I like to watch them carry stuff into their house. Watch." She pointed to one that had a large crumb. They all watched it in silence for a while._

_The tall boy held out his hand to her. "I'm Takashi Morinozuka." He said, his dark eyes searching her cool gray ones._

_She smiled and shook it. "I'm Linnea Reeve. But everyone calls me Linny."_

_The small boy smiled. "I like that… Linny." He giggled. "Everyone calls me Hunny. That kinda rhymes! Right Takashi?"_

_For the first time in awhile, Linnea Reeve laughed. She laughed because she was happy, she laughed because she wasn't afraid, and she laughed because she was not an ant._

_She was Linny, which rhymed with Hunny… sort of._

She shook her head, breaking free of her memory. That was the first time in awhile she had remembered anything about before she was admitted to the hospital. She closed her eyes tightly. Now was not the time for remembering, now was the time to act.

She cautiously took a step out the door, looking around for any signs of people. So far, none.

She began walking down the dark corridors. Every once in awhile, she would pass by a window, and she would feel herself turn into a shadow. A silhouette. She liked that feeling. She liked the thought of what people would see right then.

She imagined them turning and looking at her. They wouldn't see a skinny, undernourished girl in need of a haircut. They would see darkness, and only that. She was the darkness. She was a shadow.

She smiled, thinking of this and fiddling with the knife in her hand. Suddenly, she heard noises.

She whirled around, her confidence gone. Her eyes widened with fright. Without thinking, she darted into a nearby room. She slammed the door shut behind her and leaned against it, breathing heavily.

"Hey…" a cool voice behind her said. She gasped and turned around. Across the room, a boy stood. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You don't belong here."

In a flash, she was across the room. Her arm swung to the side, and the knife cut through. She watched the blood blossom on his shirt. She felt the knife go through him and into the wall. She let go.

Gasping and sputtering, he was pinned there. She felt her breathing calm down somewhat. She could still feel her heart pounding in her chest. Beating against her rib cage.

As she calmed down, the voice of reason spoke up. "The others might come back." It said. "And then what will you do?"

She looked down at her hands, then up at the boy. He didn't look quite dead yet, but he had stopped moving. "I'll have to get more knives, won't I?" she answered it matter-of-factly, and began to head for the kitchen.

**Phantom: OH GOD!!!! I can't believe I killed off Kyouya… and right away too! Thanks to: **_**dont ask it'll just confuse u.**_** for their review. It was much appreciated. (And I learned how to improve my Texas accent from them!)**

**Tamaki: (sniffling) What's gonna happen to us?**

**Phantom: You'll know when it happens. Now shut up.**

**Tamaki: (whimper)**


	3. Till Death Do Us Part

**Phantom: Two chapters and three reviews… not bad! Not bad at all… thanks to all my reviewers! I LUFF JOO! And to answer **_**don't ask it'll just confuse u.**_** you never know… I may have to kill Tamaki one way or another… (evil grin)**

**Tamaki: OH GOD! (hides)**

**Chapter Three- Till Death do Us Part**

"Give me a long kiss goodnight  
and everything will be alright  
Tell me that I won't feel a thing,  
So give me Novacaine"

_-Green Day_

Haruhi and the twins had begun to walk back. "Locked." Hikaru muttered. "I can't believe it."

Haruhi shrugged. "It could be worse." She put in, trying to keep positive.

Kaoru sighed. "I don't see how."

Tamaki came running up to them, thoroughly out of breath. "G-guys!" he panted. "The doors… the doors are-"

"Locked?" Kaoru rolled his eyes. "We know."

Tamaki pouted slightly. "Oh."

Hikaru was still rather annoyed with Tamaki. "Why don't you make your brainless self useful and go get Kyouya so we can find another way out of here."

Tamaki nodded and started running the other way. Obviously, he was too out of breath and worried to care that Hikaru was giving him orders.

Tamaki ran back down the hallway, looking for the right door. One… two… three… four doors down. There it was!

His hands found the door knob and he opened it smoothly and quietly. He looked around. "Kyouya?" he called softly. "Come on, we need to find another way out of here."

No answer.

"Kyouya?" Tamaki called again, this time a little louder. "We need to go!" He squinted into the darkness. In the far corner, he could see a dark shape looming in the shadows. Tamaki sighed. "Come on Kyo." He walked over and peered at him. His head was bent, and he looked slightly limp. Maybe he fell asleep against the wall?

"Kyo?" Tamaki took his hand, then quickly dropped it. It was cold.

He took a step back. "Kyouya?" his voice was barely a whisper. It was then that he noticed something under his jacket. Something was sticking out. Cautiously, Tamaki moved the cloth out of the way.

He screamed.

--

Haruhi looked up sharply. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

"It sounded like Tamaki." Kaoru agreed, starting to jog now.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "He probably broke a nail." He scoffed.

--

Mori looked up. He had been sitting by the door while Hunny tried picking the lock. "Something's wrong." He said, sounding a little alarmed.

Hunny looked towards where the others had gone. "We'd better go see, ne Takashi?"

Mori nodded and stood up, heading for the hallway.

--

Linnea stopped moving as she heard the scream. _Shit._ She thought. _They found him._ She quickly gathered up several more knives into a plastic bag she had found. She wished she had something easier to use, like a gun. Knives were so messy, so blunt… so heavy.

She lugged her possessions out of the kitchen and back down the hall. She'd have to hide for awhile. Hopefully, she'd find them before they found her. And when she did…

She chuckled. Well, they would find themselves in a very similar position as their friend, wouldn't they?

--

Tamaki stared at his friend's body. He felt himself unable to speak at all. He felt frightened, he felt upset, and worst of all, he felt alone.

He began to slowly back up, his eyes never leaving the body. _But it's not a body._ He thought. _It's just Kyouya. He's just sleeping. Soon he'll open his eyes and tell me I'm an idiot. Just like always. Yes, that's it… asleep…_

Haruhi was the first to run in. She looked at Tamaki. "Senpai, what-" she saw what he was looking at. "OH MY GOD!" she shrieked. "TAMAKI!"

Tamaki shook his head. "No…" he murmured. "No, no, no, no, no, no. He's not dead. No, he's can't be dead. Not Kyouya."

The twins heard Haruhi yell, and began running. "What's going on?" Kaoru cried. They both skidded to a stop in the room. They looked first at Tamaki, then at Haruhi, then at Kyouya. Kaoru's eyes widened. "Oh god." He whispered.

Hikaru covered his mouth. He couldn't say anything, but he might have thrown up a bit.

Mori heard Haruhi cry out, and broke into a run. He wasn't about to let anyone get hurt.

"Takashi! Wait!" Hunny wailed, trying to catch up.

Mori turned and scooped him up like a sack of flour, then continued running. Although he wanted to protect his friends, Hunny was always top priority.

They arrived not long after the twins. Mori gently put Hunny down before going over to Tamaki. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Tamaki just kept shaking his head. His feelings were rushing around inside him, as if someone had shaken him up until they swirled around in his head. He hit a coffee table and fell to the ground. Just before he hit, he felt everything drain out of him, until he was numb inside and out. Everything went back, and he fell into a blissful faint.

**Phantom: There, now the lyrics I put up there make sense, ne?**

**Tamaki: GAWD I don't wanna die! **

**Phantom: If you don't shut up I may just kill you off right here and now… (glare)**

**Tamaki: (whimper)**


	4. Disappear

**Phantom: Well, sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I had the next chapter going, but my computer won't let me open it anymore so… yeah. (sigh) Onward and upward I always say. **

**Chapter Four: Disappear**

"Don't you turn your eyes from me

_Open them and see me now_

_Can you see me now?"_

_-TATU_

Linnea crept through the halls with practiced stealth. She had to admit that having all these people in here was… unexpected. And unexpected things frightened her terribly. What should she do? Where should she go?

She took a deep breath. The first question could be answered. She needed to have no witnesses. No one left to say that she was here for a night. These people, whoever they were, needed to be taken care of… they needed to disappear. That's what the knives were for.

They obviously had found the first one. That was bad. But that had also been a stupid and impulsive act on her part. So, what could they do about it?

They could call the police.

She felt her stomach tighten. What would she do? Of course these kids would have cell phones, she was stupid not to have seen it before. She could've hit herself over the head for being so stupid. But at the moment, she needed to act.

She carefully hid the knives and made her way towards the door where their voices drifted out. If there was one thing she had learned in those ten years at the hospital…

It was how to pickpocket.

--

Mori had moved their king from the floor to the bench by the window. He shook his head sadly. Tamaki's face looked so palled and sickly, nothing like the usual glimmering king they had to deal with on a daily basis.

He walked back to where the others were huddled. "Now what?" he asked.

Haruhi took a deep breath. "First of all, we need to figure out why whoever did this did it. That way, we can avoid further conflict and get out of here alive."

Kaoru nodded. "Yeah, that's good." He looked over at their friend's body and shuddered. "Maybe it was in self defense?"

"Who defends themselves with a _knife_?" Hikaru demanded.

Kaoru shrugged. "It's worth a thought."

Haruhi put a finger to her mouth, thinking. "Maybe Kyouya didn't do anything." She said slowly.

Kaoru furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Haruhi turned to them. "I mean, what if this person is just doing this for fun? What if it's all a game to them?" she elaborated.

Hikaru's eyes widened. "Like… a psycho?"

Haruhi nodded. Hikaru felt his throat clench. They were locked in the school in the middle of the night with a serial killer. How wonderful.

"So, it that's the case, what should we do?" Mori demanded.

Hikaru stood up. "I know what I'm doing." He announced. "I'm going to call the police." He reached into his back pocket. His face fell visibly. He searched the other pocket, then the front ones, then his jacket pockets. Nothing. "Oh god." He moaned. "I must've forgot it at home."

"You can use mine." Kaoru offered, reaching into his pocket. His face fell in a similar manner to his brothers. "Oh… or not." He mumbled.

Mori and Hunny checked theirs too. They both came up empty.

"Check Tamaki's!" Hikaru cried desperately.

Mori did as he was asked, but once again, nothing was found. He even tried Kyouya's, much to his revulsion, but no cell phone was to be had.

Hikaru sat down and put his head in his hands. "WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO DO?" he screamed. "We have no phones, no key to the door, no connection to the outside world and we could be killed off at any minute!" He felt tears of fear and anguish springing to his eyes.

Kaoru sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be alright." He said in a soothing tone. "We'll be fine."

Hikaru pushed him away. "We will _not_ be alright." He growled. "Don't lie to me just to comfort me, like some idiot child." He angrily wiped tears from his eyes. "We need to find some way to survive the night. That's all we have to do, right?"

Haruhi nodded. "Yeah, just until someone else comes."

Hunny looked around, looking frightened. "Did you hear that?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Everyone paused, completely still… completely silent. They listened hard.

Finally, there was a small 'thump' and a loud 'CRASH!' Every one seemed on edge in the room. Mori's jaw tightened. "They're close." He whispered.

Everyone slowly came together in a large huddle. They all stared fearfully at the door, expecting some mad man to come bursting in, hurling knives. They all waited.

Nothing else came.

Haruhi let out the breath she realized she had been holding. Whoever it was, they were gone for now. She turned to the others. "We need to get out of this room. They obviously know we're in here, and they might come back."

Hikaru and Kaoru nodded. "What should we do about Tamaki?" Mori asked.

Haruhi looked at the still-unconscious Tamaki. "Someone will have to carry him.' She sighed. She looked back at Mori. He sighed as well.

"I guess that means me." He said, walking over and hoisting the king over his shoulder. "Let's go."

--

Linnea simply lay upon the floor for a bit. She had tripped, over a bunch up part of the rug. Her bag of knives had flown ahead of her and smashed into the wall. _Maybe,_ she thought, _I can pretend I'm dead._ She suddenly laughed at herself. She was being childish. Even if they had heard her, they wouldn't come running to the scene of the sound. They weren't _that_ stupid… were they?

She stood up and gathered her bag up. She had to admit, if she could replay all that had happened, it would be like a comedy. Their faces had been priceless, frightened and helpless without their connection to the outside world.

She laughed again and slung the bag over her shoulder. It clattered with the sound of seven knives and six cell phones (the girl hadn't had one on her, lucky for Linnea.).

She smiled and began to skip like a schoolgirl, her hospital gown fluttering from the movement of her legs. She was having something she hadn't had in a long time: Success.


	5. Fade to Black

Phantom: (blush) I have so many nice reviewers! I can't thank you all enough! I must say, this is probably my best written story yet! However, I feel that I must reveal more flashbacks now so… TROLLY HO!

**Chapter Five- Fade to Black**

"Because one day, I'll leave you

_A phantom, to lead you in the summer,_

_To join the Black Parade…"_

_-MCR_

Haruhi and the twins had taken the lead in the little brigade. Mori and Hunny lagged behind slightly, partly due to the weight that Mori had to carry. He felt his nerves peak slightly. The adrenaline was finally setting in, and he felt more alert then he ever had in his life.

His eyes scanned the halls around and in front of him. He noticed a small dent in one of the walls. _That explains the noise._ He thought. _But what were they doing?_ It was lower to the ground, so they couldn't have thrown it. Maybe they fell or something…

"Mori! Hurry up!" Kaoru called. Mori was jerked from his thoughts. He looked up sharply. He hadn't realized how behind he had gotten. Hunny had stayed by his side, looking up at him with wide chocolate eyes.

"We should hurry Takashi." He whispered. "We don't want to get separated, ne?"

Mori nodded and attempted to pick up the pace, but with an unconscious king on his shoulder, that was easier said than done. He let Hunny go ahead of him a bit.

Kaoru looked back. "Maybe we should take turns carrying the idiot." He remarked.

Hikauru shrugged. "It's not like any one of us could carry him… aside from Mori." Kaoru smiled. Hikaru was finally calming down. That would help a little.

Haruhi kept her face forward, never taking her eyes from the corridor ahead of them. She was afraid that if she looked elsewhere, her mind would begin to play tricks on her. Shadows would look like people, and the wind would sound like screams. Isn't that always what happens in those horror movies?

She took a shuddering breath. She could feel her heart racing. This was _not_ like a horror movie, because this was real. If they died, they couldn't just yell 'Cut!' and they'd get up and re-read the script. If they died, they weren't coming back.

--

Linnea lifted her head slightly. She heard them coming. She felt a smile crawl to her lips. "I like this game." She chuckled to herself. "It's like-"

_Hide and seek._

She gasped, the room started spinning again, and she began to remember… that hot August Day… she had been seven…

"_What should we play?" Hunny asked brightly. _

_She shrugged. "What about hide and seek?" she suggested. "I've always liked that game."_

_Takashi said nothing, keeping his head down and not looking up. She looked at him, concerned. "What's wrong?" she asked._

_He just shook his head. She gave a quizzical look to Hunny, who only shrugged. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Takashi?"_

_He pulled away. "I'm sorry." He said softly. _

_Her face dropped. "What?" She heard footsteps coming toward her. She turned to see her parents and a few men in white suits coming towards her. She felt her breathing increase. "Mamma?" she whispered. _

_Her mother looked stressed. "I can't believe it. All this time we thought she was just sensitive to heat… who knew." She began to shake her head. _

"_Mamma?" Linny repeated, she began to walk towards her mother, but she only put a hand out, as if to stop her. The men made a wall between them. Now, Linny was crying. "MAMMA!" she yelled. "MAMMA! PAPA! PLEASE!"_

_One of the men put a hand on her arm and bent down to her. "You're sick honey." He said gently. "We're going to take you to the hospital, so you can get better, okay?" _

_Linnea whirled around, tears flying from her eyes as she did. She snarled, "YOU TOLD!" she lunged at Takashi, not really sure what she was doing. She small girl soon pinned him to the ground. "YOU TOLD! YOU TOLD THEM! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN'T!" she screamed. _

_As the men pulled her away, Takashi Morinozuka sat up and stared after her. "I'm sorry!" he yelled as she cried and screamed and struggled. "I'm sorry! I just wanted to help! I'm sorry Linnea! I'm sorry!"_

_Hunny stared at her, wide eyed. He turned to Takashi. "What… where's she going?" he asked, sounding worried. "What are they going to do?"_

_Takashi didn't answer; he only stared at his struggling friend. And for the first time in awhile, and probably one of the last times in his life, he cried. _

Linnea shook her head. She realized that she was crying again, and that she was shivering all over. How could she have forgotten that? That day that was so vivid in her mind? How could she have forgotten how she had been betrayed… causing her to be locked in by those whitewashed walls for ten long years. She felt herself tense up again. Hate filled her body like boiling water fills a pot.

He was here. Both of them were. She knew it. They were the reason she was being sent into a portal of nostalgia. This void of remembrance. She would have her revenge. She would kill all who stood in the path of that vengence.

--

Kaoru had drifted somewhere between Haruhi and Hikauru, and Mori and Hunny. There was a large gap between those pairs, and it gave him some space to think.

He watched the doors go by him. They seemed to beckon with never-ending darkness. He shuddered and quickened his pace.

He eyes flicked from door to door, not really sure what they were looking for. He felt his heart speed up. Did something just move? He shook his head. No, his mind was just playing tricks on him.

No, there it was again. Something shifted in the darkness of one of the open doors. He blinked several times.

Yes, there was definitely something there. Some dark mass huddled in the corner of the black abyss. He took several tentative steps in. "Hello?" he called softly. His mind was screaming for him to get out and RUN! Run for all he was worth before he ended up looking like Kyouya.

But, as fear will sometimes do to people, his feet did not want to obey his mind. They decided to stay where they were, planted to the floor a few steps into the doorway.

He saw the shape shift slightly, as if to get more comfortable. He felt a shiver go up his spine. Fear seemed to grip his legs, and his knees buckled, sending him sprawled a few more steps in.

This was appearently enough for the shadow, who lifted themselves to their full height. From his position on the ground, Kaoru was terrified of this thing. To him, it looked massive. Tall beyond belief. _A killer. _He thought. _Most definitely a killer. _

His mind started screaming again, _GET UP! GET UP! GET UP! WHY ARE YOU JUST LAYING THERE!? THAT THING WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T MOVE YOUR FEET!_

_But I don't want to move. _He suddenly thought. _Maybe I want to let it kill me… maybe I want to just lay here and wait for death to come. It would come anyways… wouldn't it? Isn't that why I came in here? To get it over with quickly?_

The figure eased the door closed quietly. It towered over him, an even darker shape amongst it's kin. It bent down to him.

"You're not even going to try, are you?" the voice hissed. Kaoru was shocked to find that it was the voice of a young woman… not the monster he had seen at all.

She coiled her cold, steely fingers around his neck and hoisted him up. She looked him in the eyes, the light of the moon shining onto her face in interesting patterns. Her gray eyes searched his face. She smiled a wicked and fear-inducing smile.

"You're a pretty one." She whispered. "Prettier then the last. It's a shame all that beauty is about to go to waste." She pulled out a very long… very thick kitchen knife. She chuckled. "But I wouldn't want to damage the perfection of a pretty face. They're rare these days after all."

She let the knife caress the front of his throat for a moment or two. "You know, this is almost too easy." She remarked, suddenly sounding disappointed. "You come right in her and flop down on the floor, ready to be butchered. Now tell me-" she point came to rest under his chin. "-does that sound… _normal_ to you?"

He felt a flare of anger inside him. He aroused his mind slightly, bringing him out of the haze of terror. His eyes hardened. "No…" he replied, " It actually sounds perfectly normal. People are afraid to die… so I just came to you." He paused, watching in distasteful delight as her face dropped. "But people also like revenge. So, even though you get to kill me, I get to make sure you don't 'enjoy' it."

"ENOUGH!" she yelled. She brought the knife from his throat, then swung it back around.

The last thing he thought before the knife made contact with his throat, sending blood spraying everywhere, was this: _At least I won't look like Kyouya when I go. At least they'll know it wasn't some stupid accide-_

His thoughts were cut off, along with his head.

**Phantom: WOO! What a way to end a chapter! Glad to keep you all hanging on!**


	6. The Finding of Kaoru

Phantom: (grin) Gawd, I love how easily this story is slipping out of my head. It's like oil on a pan, I dump it onto the paper and it just slides right off. (claps hands) I LOVE IT!

**Chapter Six: The Finding of Kaoru**

"_All alone he turns to stone,_

_While holding his breath after death…"_

_-The Used_

Mori had seen him go in. He had felt his heart quicken. He had wanted to cry out, "Kaoru!" and run after him. But he hadn't.

And why? Because of something that had seemed to hold him back quite often. Loyalty.

He couldn't just leave Mitsukuni like that. And, what's more, how would he help Kaoru with the Host Club King slung across his shoulder. No, he had to let his friend go. He had to let him die.

He had heard the slight thud when he fell. His throat had clenched. He had held back for as long as he could. He frantically looked ahead. Haruhi and Hikaru hadn't seemed to notice that Kaoru had disappeared. He shuddered.

Hunny put a hand on his arm. "Are you alright Takashi?" he asked.

Mori nodded slowly. "I think so." He replied. "Did you see Kaoru leave-"

"Into that room?" Hunny finished, pointing a finger in that direction. "Yes…"

Mori slowly put Tamaki down. He looked to Hunny. He really hated to do this but…

"Watch him, alright?" he said in a soft monotone. "I'll be back in a minute. If anyone comes…" he closed his eyes for a minute. He was beginning to feel faint. He opened them again. "If anyone comes, I don't want you to hold back, alright?"

Hunny nodded, his eyes wide. "Okay Takashi." He answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Mori gave him one last nod, then headed towards the door that Kaoru had disappeared into. He put his hand on the smooth wood of the door. He could almost feel death radiating out of the room.

He took a deep breath, closed his hand around the door knob, and pushed the door open.

At first, it looked as though there was nothing there. His hand groped for a light switch. His fingers brushed past the small switch. He flicked it up, flooding the room with light.

Blood was splattered on the wall and on the carpet. There was one large red blotch on the wall, which slowly dripped down, as if pointing to the headless body of Kaoru. The body itself was slumped against the wall, looking as if it was bored without it's head.

Mori's wide eyes swept across the room. They finally came to rest on a desk, where the head was perched. He expected it's golden eyes to be opened wide with shock and realization, like in those cheesy horror movies. But this was not the case. The eyes were almost hidden beneath half-lowered lids in the typical way the twins seemed to look at people. If it weren't for all the blood, and the fact that the head and body were separated, everything would've looked normal.

Which was what probably caused him to be sick.

After several dry heaves, he managed to stand up on wobbly legs. He needed to get out of the room. Chances were that the killer was still in the room.

He staggered out the door and looked around. Haruhi and Hikaru were long gone, unaware of what was happening. He looked down the other side of the hallway. Tamaki was still slumped against the wall but…

Where was Hunny?

Panic and regret gripped him. He shouldn't have left Mitsukuni alone. It had been so stupid of him. _So stupid!_

He ran to Tamaki and checked him. There was a smeared handprint of blood on his neck. Mori felt his pulse quicken. Had he been too late to save Tamaki as well?

He tenetively put a hand to his neck, where the blood was. He could feel a beating pulse there. He let out a sigh of relief.

But the relief didn't last long. If the blood wasn't Tamaki's, where was it from? Kaoru? The Killer? Hunny?

He let out an exasperated cry. What was he going to do?

--

Linnea sat herself down in one of the arm chairs in a room nearby. She was tired. She hated to admit that she was out of shape, but it was true. Ten years in a hospital will do that to you.

She took in a deep breath. The blond boy… he had made it too easy. They were all making it too easy.

She looked at her hand, which was covered with blood still. She had checked his pulse, not sure if he was dead or sleeping or what. She laughed. She had wondered if she had subconsciously killed him and didn't remember it. How stupid of her.

Naturally, he was alive. That had made things a bit more simple. But a for the little one… he had gone quite willingly. In fact, he seemed to recognize her almost instantly. She chuckled again. It's funny how remembering makes you weak.

Before she did anything else, she had to get the other one. The tall one. The one who had made her life miserable for the next ten years of her life. She closed her eyes for a minute, letting the memory replay for the time being.

She remembered going into the large white car with the flashing light on top. She remembered giving up on screaming and just crying. Sobbing actually. She had remembered seeing her mother out of the back window, shaking her head and mouthing the word. "Episodes. All this time we thought it was the sun… but mental episodes…"

She had seen her father, an arm around her mother, his gray eyes looking into hers for a moment, then turning away. She had remembered that after awhile, it seemed that she had no tears left, but her sobbing would not stop.

She also remembered that first day in the hospital. How they had taken x-rays over and over again, and then kept her locked in her room so she wouldn't "disturb the other patients."

Her hands tightened around the knife she had been holding. She wanted revenge. First, she had it on the hospitals. Now, she would have it on those who had betrayed her. She would have revenge, and she would relish and drag out every moment of it.


	7. Awoken

**Phantom: GAH! I am so sorry that it's taken me this frickin' long to update! I didn't realize that my story was popular! (Shrug) Anyway, here we go!**

**Chapter Seven- Awoken**

"_All my friends, I've  
Returned to sister winter  
All my friends, I  
Apologize, apologize…"_

_-Sufjan Stevens_

Hikaru and Haruhi had been walking for awhile, when Hikaru stopped. "Wait." He told Haruhi sternly, turning around. When his suspicions were confirmed, he swore. "Damn it!"

Haruhi looked back too, and to her dismay, saw that her classmates were missing. "Oh no." she moaned. "Where could they have gotten to? We weren't walking that far."

Hikaru cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "KAORU!" Haruhi smacked him upside the head.

"Shush!" she snapped. "We're not the only ones looking for someone. The killer might hear us!"

Hikaru nodded. "Right, sorry." He muttered. "So, what do we do now?"

Haruhi thought for a bit. If they went back, they'd either run into them or miss them completely. If they stayed where they were, they'd probably be found… but by who? She really didn't want to die, but she didn't want her friends to die either.

Her thoughts were cut off by the sounds of padding footsteps. Haruhi drew her breath in. "Someone's coming." She whispered.

Hikaru looked panicked. "Hide!" he hissed, dragging her into one of the darkened rooms.

--

Linnea rounded the corner, holding someone's hand. "Where are we going?" said a small voice.

Linnea smiled as sweetly as she could. "Somewhere secret and safe, okay?" she answered. "It'll be like we're playing hide-and-" she shuddered, cutting herself off. "It'll be like a game."

Hunny lowered his chocolate brown eyes. "But it's not a game." He said softly. "Are you going to kill me?"

She stopped to look at him. Something inside her had sparked up. Something that hadn't been there since she escaped from the hospital. She stared at him, her dilated pupils slowly growing smaller. Realization dawned over her, and that sense of power… that haze that had spread over her mind was gone. She felt her knees buckle underneath her. "Hunny…" she murmured. "Hunny…" She looked down at the bloody knife clutched in her hand. She uttered a shriek and dropped it. It clattered on the ground and she fell to her knees. She covered her face with her hands, smearing the blood across her stricken expression. She looked at Hunny, and she remembered. She remembered him. She felt hot tears of fear run down her cheeks. Hunny sat down next to her and took her hand in his. She wrenched her hand away and stared at him again. "Run away." She whispered. Hunny felt a shiver run down his spine, but he didn't move. "RUN!" She screamed. Her voice was hoarse and it startled Hunny to a standing position. "Go away! Quickly! Please, please don't let me hurt you!"

He turned, took a few steps, and paused to look back. She was dragging herself to another room. He waited until the door had closed behind her to start running back from where he had come. He had to tell Takashi.

--

Tamaki felt the world slowly coming back into focus around him. He had no idea where he was or what was going on. He reached up and touched his face. There was something on his neck. His hand traveled down. It was sticky, but drying. He slowly raised it to his eyes. He let out a surprised yelp and leaped to his feet. "B-B-BLOOOOD!" He cried frantically. He looked around and spotted Mori next to him. "Mori-senpai! Where is everyone?! Why is there blood?! What-" Mori stood up, and the action alone was enough to silence Tamaki.

He looked at Tamaki, and his face was drawn in agony. "Mitsukuni…" he murmured. He closed his eyes for a minute, composing himself. When he opened them again, he seemed steadier. "Kaoru is dead." He reported grimly. "So is Kyouya."

Tamaki grew pale. He looked around. "Where are the others?" His voice cracked slightly, giving away his panic. Mori said nothing. He only stared at the darkened hallways before them. Tamaki grabbed his arm suddenly. "Mori, we have to find them. It's only a matter of time before-"

Frantic footsteps interrupted them. Tamaki felt Mori tense beneath his hand. Tamaki took a step back as Mori assumed a defensive stance. The figure charged toward them, Tamaki hid his eyes, awaiting the inevitable. The figure stopped, crouched and then-

Leaped into Mori's arms. "Takashi!" Hunny practically sobbed, clutching onto his friend tightly. "Takashi, we have to go back for her! She doesn't know what she's doing. Her medicine- do you remember?"

Mori was too stunned and relieved to process what had just been said to him. He stared down at Hunny, bewildered. He looked up at Tamaki, who's expression was similar to his own. "Medicine?" he finally said. Hunny nodded, but that seemed to be all they could get out of it. The word struck some sort of memory in him, but very lightly. He couldn't seem to bring it completely forth. Still carrying Huny, he began to walk forward. "Come on." He said gravely. "We need to find Hikaru and Haruhi."

--

Hikaru poked his head out the door. "Is it safe?" Haruhi whispered. Her voice trembled slightly, which set Hikaru even more on edge.

"Yeah, there's no-" He stopped. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Shh… listen."

They both were silent as they strained to listen in the darkness. Haruhi heard it. "Someone's crying." She concluded. She pushed past him. "It's coming from there." She pointed to the closed door in front of them. She reached out to open it, but Hikaru held her back.

"Let me." He insisted. "We don't know who's behind that door." Haruhi nodded, and stepped back to oblige. He rested his hand on the doorknob. He turned it slowly. He heard the snuffling sounds cease immediately. He gently pushed open the door.

There, on the floor, illuminated by the moonlight, was a thin girl. Her hair hung down in her face, and she seemed to be wearing some sort of white, torn gown. Hikaru couldn't help but frown at its unflattering figure and plain color. It was stained red in multiple places. Blood perhaps? Had she encountered this killer as well? He stepped forward, and she drew herself back. "P-please…" she said in a hushed tone. Her body trembled as she tried to fold herself up more.

Haruhi peeked around him. "Are you alright?" She asked in a soothing tone. She began to walk toward her. She girl seemed to be trying to make herself disappear into the wall behind her. Haruhi bent down and extended a hand to her. "It's okay." She assured her. "We're not going to hurt you. "

The girl looked up at her with such a pained expression that Haruhi felt her stomach clench with pity. "Y-you won't?" She asked in a trusting voice. Haruhi nodded, and indicated her hand again. The girl paused, then took it. Haruhi helped her up. "Come on." She said. "We'll stay with you until we can get out of here. Is that alright?" The girl nodded and wiped her face, leaving red smears. Hiakru turned and they followed him out. The three of them continued down the hallway, unaware that they were traveling away from their friends, and with death as a companion.

**Phantom: Alright. I'm going to try and get this as long as possible. I'm not sure if I'll be able to update often, but I can try for once a week, okay? I love y'all! :P**


End file.
